Cerberus Unleashed
by Stray Sentinel
Summary: Sumire and Lucia are drawn into a ancient war. As the line between friend and foe blurs, they must find a way to survive where others have failed.
1. Whispers in the Dark

**_Warning: Yuri/Shojo-ai_**

Disclaimer: I do not own Venus Versus Virus.

Author's Playlist Pick:

Whispers in the Dark - Skillet

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**Introduction: **

**Whispers in the Dark**

_Dark. Not the dark behind closed eyelids or the dark of moonless nights. This was a midnight that lurked only in the bowels of the earth, only in the depths of demon souls, pushing in on any source of light as though trying to devour it._

_My name is…_

_Interwoven with a broken mockery of hope, the voices rose and fell in chaotic rhythm, a twisted prayer. The echo of a thousand voices, desperately holding on to the last shred of humanity._

_My name, my name…if I can remember that…_

_A cry cut into the dark._

"I summon thee!"

_The darkness stirred as the summons rippled through the abyss. The voices fell silent as the black swirled angrily._

"By Fire, I summon thee!"

_Fiery symbols glowed in haphazard will-o-wisps, forming a flickering arch as the inky black attempted to smother the light - the order - that had invaded its realm._

"By Earth, I summon thee!"

_Sand formed the threshold of the arch and whirled upward to outline the flames. If one looked closely at the cloud of earth, strange shapes could be seen coming together for a brief instant before scattering like dust in the wind. The dark shuddered._

"By Water, I summon thee!"

_Water twined sinuously through the columns of earth, runes fading in and out of existence in its currents._

"By Wind, I summon thee!"

_At odds with the violent entrance of the other elements, a playful breeze blew its way through the gate of fire. The voices had fallen silent… all but the one._

"By Earth, by Wind, By Fire, and By Water; by Gate and Key, I summon thee!"

_Silence. _

"Lilith, I summon thee!"

_The door swung outward and the voices of the dark let out a collective shriek, shrinking back from the piercing ray of white light. The silhouette of a young girl was the only refuge the shadow could take._

"_Lilith," Murmured a childlike voice, clinging to the name. "…Lilith…"_

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Author's Notes:

Hey guys, this is my first fic. I'll love you forever if you give me some constructive criticism!

I'm looking for a Beta. If you don't mind working with (mild) femslash, please PM me. I'm planning a Dragon Age fic soon, so I'm looking for a Beta for that as well.

Thanks for reading_,_

_Sentinel_**  
**


	2. Runaway

Author's Playlist Pick:

Runaway - Linkin Park

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**Chapter One:**

**Runaway**

Sumire slowly opened her eyes and stared unseeing at the canopy of her bed. It was made of pink velvet, she noticed absently.

_Was that a dream? It…felt so real._

"So you're finally awake."

She turned her head to the side and saw Lucia sitting at the opposite side of the room on her bed, sliding bullets into the chambers of her gun. No doubt she had just finished cleaning it. She spun the cylinder, checking the balance before clicking it back into place with a flick of her wrist and finally looking up at Sumire with one cool blue eye. It mystified Sumire how a girl the same age as her could look so… intimidating wearing nothing but a black nightgown.

_Or it could just be the gun._

"Ow…" Sumire whimpered, clutching at her head. As sharp pain had drilled its way into her skull as soon as she tried to sit up.

"You probably shouldn't be moving yet, you were cracked pretty hard on the head yesterday."

Lucia was sitting up in bed, the covers drawn up to her waist as she lounged carelessly against the headboard; her unbound hair spilled over her shoulders in a silvery contrast to her dark attire. The length of white bandage wound tightly from Lucia's left elbow to the top of her shoulder drew her worried eyes - and Lucia's quizzical gaze reminded her that she was staring. She felt her face warm.

"I wouldn't worry about it; Sumire-chan's skull is thick enough."

Lola bustled through the door carrying a tray of food and rested it on the vanity between the beds.

"What happened?"

The petite blonde heaved an exasperated sigh. "You and Lucia-san got in over your heads and you had to use your berserker powers… _again."_

Lucia snorted softly, but remained silent. Instead she lit a cigarette, earning her dirty looks from both Lola and Sumire. A patented _"Anything to say?"_ glare later, and Lola and Sumire returned to the conversation at hand.

"…Aaannyyyway, I made you guys breakfast!" Lola continued, grinning impishly. "…or lunch… whichever way you want to look at it."

"What!" Sumire shot back up.

"Hey, stay right there!"

"But I've got to go to school!"

"No you don't, you two have been running yourselves ragged these past few weeks!"

"But I've got an exam next week!"

"So you can take care of it next week then!" Lucia had been watching this with increasing amusement, but the sound of the small bell that rang when the shop door opened drew her eye to the door. Lola knew that expression. "Don't even think about it, Lucia!"

Lucia began putting on her usual black dress with her customary brutal efficiency, a flush across her cheeks that Sumire didn't notice, since her eyes were focused on a _fascinating_ crack in the wall. The pain in Sumire's skull gradually receded and she cautiously settled on the edge of her bed. For some reason the room looked oddly unfamiliar. Sumire found herself scanning the room - avoiding a peek at a certain slayer of course. Everything was as usual: The two beds on either side of the room, the dark wood dressing table between them, and the wardrobe at the foot of each bed. Lucia's voice jerked her back to reality.

"So you're telling us that we let someone die?" Lucia growled.

Lola deflated. "N-no, nothing like that…"

"Well then what do you suggest we do?"

Lola sighed again, and stuck one of her endless supply of pocky in her mouth.

"…I'll go get your gear…" She mumbled around the cookie.

Lucia paid undue attention to sheathing her gun.

"Do you feel up to coming, Sumire?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good… Join us in the meeting room when you're ready." Lucia grabbed an apple from the tray. Glancing at the other foods, unrecognizable under their coatings of chocolate, she smiled slightly. "And you might want to get some real food out of the kitchen."

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Cassidy was probably a few years older than Sumire; and only a fraction of an inch taller than Lucia. However she was much skinnier, with long limbs and big hands and feet. Combined with her angular face, short blond hair, and the mischievous glint in her brown eyes, it gave her the aspect of an overgrown fox cub. Her clothing was comically unsuitable. The skirt was pleated, knee length, and a shade of robins egg blue, matched with a delicate white blouse and... sneakers.

"…'cause I need your help hunting a virus."

Lucia gave the other female a probing look. "But you just claimed to be a hunter yourself, why do you need us?"

"I may be a hunter, but I'm new around here. It would be much easier if I had someone who knew their way around."

Lucia settled back into the couch. "So what are we going after?"

The dawning look of relief on the girl's face was quickly replaced by a businesslike demeanor – slightly tarnished by the barely repressed grin. "Our target is a Creatura virii, a tame virus. If we -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… are you telling me you actually _keep_ viruses? Like a _dog _or something? Aren't you a virus _hunter?" _Lola's outburst mirrored the looks on the others' faces.

Cassidy looked amused. "Not me personally, no."

"Isn't killing viruses the point?" Sumire asked.

"You use wolfhounds to hunt wolves, don't you? It's no different, and their powers come in handy." She chuckled. "There are a lot of others that ask the same question though."

"If you three are done?" Lucia muttered impatiently.

Cassidy smiled sheepishly. "Okay. It disappeared somewhere around the business district…."

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Sumire landed lightly on the intersection of a brick wall that separated two bland gray office buildings and construction site. The brooding clouds were threatening rain, and the wind made it hard to make sense of the scents around her. The scent – a subtle mixture of virus, blood, and anesthetic - drifted on the cool winds from the rusting metal skeleton of an apartment building. Sumire lips curled into an uncharacteristic smirk. She'd found it.

Sensing that tobacco and roses were not far behind her, she leapt towards the building. Grass grew up in tufts and clumps around abandoned construction equipment and crumbling sidewalks. The decaying building in the center of the lot was covered with climbing vines. A pile of large concrete pipes obscured by a grove of scrawny saplings were stacked on one corner of the lot. The bittersweet scent they were giving off was almost overpowering. Sumire paused, waiting for the others to catch up.

"A-are you…sure…this is it?" Cassidy panted.

Lucia's blue eye followed Sumire's gaze to the concrete cylinders, her gun held comfortably in one hand. She didn't appear winded at all, and didn't bother to answer. Sumire peered into the pipes from a safe distance.

"Do you s-see anything?" Cassidy whispered, inching forward.

"No, not ye-"

With none of the usual warning growls or verbal taunts, shadowy form sprang from the center pipe. Lucia lifted her gun and fired.

**Authors Note:**

Hey guys! Keep in mind that I'm not a Japanese speaker (obviously) so please let me know if I've used an honorific incorrectly! ^^ I'm not really a big fan of using a language I don't know well in a fanfic, but I feel like honorifics show degrees of closeness/relationships that cannot be replicated well in English, sooo... yeah. XD


	3. Lucifer's Angel

Author's Playlist Pick:

Lucifers' Angel - The Rasmus

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**Chapter 2:**

**Lucifer's Angel**

_"Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Nietzche_

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_

The shadow darted over Lucia, who spun to keep it in her sights. A girl stood with one hand plunged into the center of a pile of purple goo with six bulbous eyes.

Lucia's eyes widened._ Sumire didn't smell it? _

The creature dissolved around her hand, revealing the slim blade clutched in a white-knuckled grip. All was silent, a scene in a play watched by inhuman eyes.

Sumire's eyes reflected horror, Lucia noted, thought she wasn't quite sure why.

Lucia's mind raced, trying to draw every scrap of information from the scene. The she-virus was about Sumire's height, with a slender, rangy build that brought up the mental image of some jungle cat. Her dusty brown hair hung to mid back in a loose braid. A few strands of hair framed an oval face, with slightly wide-spaced olive green eyes and broad lips. Despite the chilly air, she wore only a black tank top and some faded, ratty jeans. She didn't even have shoes. Her skin had the faintest cast of blue – perhaps from the cold? A contradiction was the (expensive looking) pair of headphones she was wearing. They encased her ears fully, and appeared to be made of some kind of dark grey metal with a matte finish.

The girl wiped the knife on her jeans and sheathed it; she dialed a few buttons on the side of the headphones, and reached to put pressure on her bleeding side. Her movements had the same careless, drunken imprecision that Sumire's did when she was in Berserker mode. From the neck down thin, pale white scars spider-webbed delicately up her arms and over every bit of visible skin. Her arms up to the elbows were mottled faintly red and black, like she had briefly plunged her arms into a fire. A smoking furrow resembling an acid burn had been blasted across her left side.

"Who are you?" Sumire gave Lucia a startled glance – she wasn't sure how long the three of them had been standing there, just... looking.

The girl remained silent, completely still, but her eyes moved a fraction to look at Cassidy. The movement seemed to break Cassidy out of her stupor.

"Meri, _pareo_!"

The girl – virus – edged closer to Cassidy with all the caution of a feral animal, her blank eyes with their plus shaped pupils staring at everything and nothing. Finally the girl settled at Cassidy's left exactly two steps behind, like a dog at heel.

Cassidy eyed the virus' wounded arm. "Gahhh! Did'ya have to damage her Lucia?" She moaned. "Yamada is gonna skin me."

She addressed the virus. "_Purgo_, Meri."

Silently, the virus pulled an autoinjector from her belt, emptied the contents into the large vein her arm, and the flesh stopped sizzling. The virus surveyed her charred arms and dripping side with detached interest.

Lucia narrowed her eye at the clumsy hunter. "I was only doing my job. You couldn't say the same." She replied coolly.

Cassidy flushed and absorbed herself in studying the damage to the virus' arms. "My apologies."

"So this is it?" Sumire asked, hoping to distract them both from a potential awkward silence.

"Yeah, she's a Parti' model. Only for higher-ups…" she said distractedly. "Ah, _tempero_, Meri." She murmured as the virus shifted restlessly. The virus stilled.

"We need to get back quick; the AI (autoinjectior) will only last for a few hours. Yamada'll be pissed if we have to rebuild the whole side."

"Rebuild the… side?" Sumire asked under her breath, unsure if she had heard correctly, but Cassidy was already heading back to the car.

"Sumire?"

Sumire snapped back to attention. "Coming, Lucia-san!"

Cassidy was standing before the car with a puzzled expression.

"So who wants to sit where?"

Lucia arched a brow. "Does it matter?"

"Not really, but I just thought… well, you know…?" Cassidy gestured helplessly at the bleeding, blank eyed virus at her side. "I didn't really think either of you would want to sit by her… and I'm the only one who can drive."

Lucia and Sumire both looked at her blankly. The featureless black van had five seats – three in the back, two in the front – so there was more than enough room.

"I need someone to monitor her condition – I really can't afford a Parti' death on my record."

"She can sit between us." Lucia said.

Cassidy smiled gratefully. "Thanks; _Protelo_, Mari." She gestured towards the car, and the virus slid into the center seat. "Just keep an eye on her… and make sure she doesn't bleed on the seats."

*************One very awkward car ride later *************

"Please tell me you're not serious."

The girls (and virus) stood in front of an ornate wrought iron gate, inset into a huge brick wall that encircled equally massive buildings. A bell cut into the air with a shriek; clamor and laughter issued from the other side.

Cassidy grimaced "I know, sounds like a bad Shojo manga doesn't it?"

"Yeah… but a _boarding_ _school_?" Sumire was floored._ This stuff actually happens in real life?_

Lucia looked askance at her astounded partner. Perhaps she should consider getting Sumire's head checked. All the things she had seen and _this_ surprised her?

Cassidy huffed indignantly. "I didn' have anythin' to do with coming up with this crackpot story! Talk to the fat cats up top."

"Cassie-chan… is that you?" The voice came high pitched and tinny over the speaker hanging on the wall. An engraved brass sign above it proclaimed 'Lady Rei's Acadamy for the Gifted.'

"Yeah, it's me Naoko-san." Cassidy

"What's the password?"

"…"

"You forgot it again, didn't you?" The voice – "Naoko-san"- giggled. "Well, I guess that's proof enough that it's really you…"

"No, I remember. It's something like 'let me the hell in before I sick the virus on you.'" The girl growled, but the accompanying flush betrayed her.

Another voice spoke, but unlike Naoko's voice the cool, soft nuances translated well.

"Now, now, Agent Byrne. No need to threaten Miss Himura."

Cassidy turned grey. "Yes, Morimoto-sama."

"You may enter." The gates opened without a sound.

Cassidy lead them into the three buildings were about six, five and seven stories high respectively, constructed of red brick in an institutional western style. The buildings were clustered in the center of the enclosure and were connected by multiple pathways. Men and women of all ages strolled around the manicured grounds – ages ranging from six-year-olds shepherded by old women to giggling twenty-somethings flirting with well dressed young men. Lucia noticed that the uniform Cassidy sported was about the same type the other girls her age wore, though none were as brightly colored. The skirts ranged from dark olive to navy blue, matched with either a white blouse or polo shirt. The boys uniform was even simpler than that, the only options a white collared shirt, black or blue jeans, and a tie. Something was off though. Groups were divided by the color armband they wore, and there were only a few stragglers that moved between groups.

"Who was that?" Sumire hurried ahead to get a better look at their usually talkative host. The girl's face was still shocked.

"Ace Morimoto," she said quietly, leading the way towards the largest building. The sidewalk was framed on either side by bright beds of flowers, lending a sweet perfume to the air. "You really don't want to draw her attention…"She lead them to a downward leading path, down a flight of water-slick steps and stopped before a heavy metal door set into the base of the school. Cassidy pressed her thumb to a gel pad, and the door swung open with an audible hiss.

"Then you shouldn't bring such interesting people to visit, _Cassie-chan_." Cassidy's face reddened and drained of blood in turns. Her brown eyes focused nervously on the young woman who stood at the base of the stairs.

_Ace_, Lucia thought. There was no doubt it was the same voice, but the girl wasn't what she expected. Ace was shorter than Cassidy and Lucia, easily taller than Sumire but with a more slender, delicate build that brought Lola to mind. Her shoulder length copper-blonde mane framed a pixyish face; the inky blue gaze moved without pause, settling only for a moment before moving on. The uniform she wore was a crisp white shirt, and knee length black skirt. A scarlet arm band with one brown line and one white was on her right upper arm. A graying white arm band circled by one red line and one blue was tied around her left wrist. The aura emanating from her was enough to make the hairs on the back of Lucia's neck stand on end. Ace continued politely. "Would you care to introduce me to your friends Agent Byrne?"

"Umm… you see – I-"

"I'm afraid that we have some pressing matters to attend to, Morimoto-san." Lucia cut in. Her eye focused sharply on the blonde. She gestured towards the virus, which was standing meekly behind Cassidy.

Ace glanced briefly at the virus, then turned on one heel. "I just remembered; I have a meeting that I cannot miss." She laughed softly. "Another time then."

Cassidy leaned shakily against the door, and fell on her rear when it flew open. Lucia leaned over the trembling agent. "She was creepy, but not enough to get that worked up."

The blonde eyed Lucia incredulously. "If you know everything I do, she is." She stood up and shook herself. "Let's go, before some o'the other creepers round here decide to show up."

The network of halls that Cassidy lead them down was unbelievably complex, the tap of their feet echoed with a dry sound like clacking bones. The still air smelled stale, with just a hint of mold. Lucia kept a close eye on her surroundings. Lord knew Sumire couldn't be trusted to remember the way back.

"Yamada-sensei is a leading professor in virus-taming research, and he designs most of the weapons we use here." Cassidy said, obviously quoting some book or another. "He's a little...eccentric."

Sumire had to resist letting out a sigh of relief when the hall finally opened up into a small study, no bigger than Nanashi-san's at home.

There was a man that looked to be in his late forties sitting behind a cherry wood desk. He was so focused on what he was doing he didn't hear them come in. He had short, messy black hair, pale skin, and a surprisingly sturdy build. It was a wonder he could get to the desk at all, much less sit at it. Papers and books, boxes, string, kites, half-eaten sandwiches… it looked more like a teen aged boy's room than a renowned Doctor's office. It _smelled_ like a teen aged boy's room.

"Yamada-sensei, I found her." Yamada turned unfocused, soft brown eyes on the young woman and smiled. He had laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, and a rumbling, deep voice. Lucia almost wished she could be put at ease. Almost.

"Well done Cassidy-kun. So this is the famous Venus Vanguard?." He glanced in their direction, then held out his hand to Meri. The virus put her hands in his; he examined her wounds, tutting. "You have my utmost thanks ladies, these aren't easy to replace." He grimaced at a particularly ugly burn. "And the paperwork!"

He straightened. "Show me, Meri." The virus looked away, crossing and recrossing her arms as the burns brushed against one another.

"Musume, what was it?"

Lucia looked on, something between disgust and irritation churning in her gut; Sumire only looked lost. Cassidy leaned forward eagerly.

Finally the virus moved toward a small door in the rear of the study that Lucia had previously missed. Meri waited until Yamada typed the proper code into yet another keypad, and then slipped into the shadows beyond.

Yamada flicked a switch, and fluorescent lights flickered into life on overhead. Sumire peered into the room, and nearly backed into Lucia and Cassidy in shock. The "room" was more like a large semi-circle, with small alcoves in the walls that served as cells of a sort. The niches were about five paces long and wide, and in the center of each niche was were circles of the symbols for earth, fire, water, air, and two sigils that Lucia did not recognize. In the center of each circle was a single virus. Every one of the viruses could have passed for a human, each in their own unique style of dress. The only unifying feature - for there were some of almost every age, sex and color - was the pair of light-swallowing headphones. The aura of power was electric: so many high class virus crammed into such a small space made Lucia's eye tingle.

Meri waited for them beside one of the few empty circles. The earth for a good two feet around was blackened by fire; the symbols almost unreadable. When her followers approached, the virus bent to scrape at some relatively untouched ground. The ash was dusted away to reveal a fire sigil, painted in some reddish substance.

"Ah… I see." The virus watched Yamada without emotion.

Even Cassidy seemed a little put off by her sensei's words. "Um… what do you see?"

"_Pareo_, Meri." He prepared to lead them to yet another location. "Meri is a water-element virus. Containing them within a field created with a fire sigil as keystone will make a much more powerful seal… but it causes them great pain."

"Then why did you use the fire sigil?"

Yamada paused. "That's just it Cassidy-kun. I didn't."

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_keystone:_

_In a sealing circle there must be at least three symbols used: one "keystone" element and two "supporting" elements. A keystone is the main elemental power used as fuel. Air is rarely used as a keystone, The strongest circles are made up of all four elements; the very best use the opposing element of the sealed. - _Yamada Kenta, Secret Seals (AKA: An Idiot's Guide to Sealing Circles)

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**Authors Note:**

I would like to thank **silverflame63** and **Repo** for fav-ing me, and **_needtoknow_** for commenting.

A special shoutout to **XredbaronessX **for looking at the first chapter of CU and being so darn nice. I highly recommend her completed work Venus Unguarded and her in-progress piece Forever Kiss. (Haven't read her others yet, but I'm sure they're just as good. XD)

**Edit: Hey guys, I AM still alive. I'm working on chapter four right now.**


	4. Broken Somewhere

Author's Playlist Pick:

Broken - Seether feat. Amy Lee

Somewhere - Within Temptation

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**Chapter 2:**

**Broken Somewhere  
**

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"How could you!" A scantily-clad brunette pursued Ace.

Ace walked a little faster. "Shut up," She growled. The rage moved in her chest like a living thing. Why did she have to deal with this crap?

"We trusted you – you BITCH -"

_Smack!_

The younger girl looked up at her from the floor. Blood tricked from her nose and down her chin. _Hm, is my aim getting better? _A distant part of Ace's mind wondered.

"I guess now I know what you really are." The girl sneered. The tears in her eyes mingled with the red.

Ace's fists were white-knuckled. She turned on her heel. "Pull yourself together." She darted through a door into a small, wood paneled study. It was decorated with dark woods and even darker fabrics. A woman with short, spiky black hair and warm grey eyes shot Ace a reserved smile from her desk in the center of the room. The monitor of a sleek computer cast an eerie light on her form.

"Smith-san again?"

The blonde leaned unsteadily against the door and licked a smear of blood off her knuckles. "Her little boyfriend got snared by a Siren. Had to take him out." Ace caught the girl's blank look and corrected herself. "A Kitsune, Himura." She'd slipped again, it was really annoying how many different names there were for the same darn things.

"Ah… well, your M-" Himura swallowed the word at Ace's glare. "There is a meeting."

Ace sighed as she stalked to the window. What a drag. Meetings, Meetings, Meetings, it was endless. Being top slayer in your year was not all it was cracked up to be. "You may have the rest of the evening off. We aren't going to get any more work done today anyway." She stalked to the window and ripped it open. Within moments she was crouching nimbly on the sill.

"You do realize we're on the third story right?"

"_W-what are y-you doing? We're on the roof!" She gasped. The sigh was a puff of air across her ear, sending clouds of vapor around their faces and a shiver down her spine. "Don't you trust me?"_

Ace looked over her shoulder with a small smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "Yeah." She took the plunge, felt the wind whip through her hair. She landed half-kneeling, without even rolling as basic training suggested. The updraft of air she had created was strong enough to keep her femurs from shattering.

She stood and began counting her way from the brick with the black spot.

_One, two, three…_

On the tenth brick she flipped up the camouflaged cap and pressed a button underneath. To her left a section of wall shifted aside to reveal a dark passage. She slipped into the shadows and the door ground closed behind her.

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"In light of the recent increase of virus activity, I would like to offer the services of our best agents to help hold your quadrant." The voice was a low rasp, like the woman had been gargling rocks.

"That won't be necessary. Sumire and I are more than enough."

"But insist Miss Nahashi. It wouldn't do to leave our fellow slayers so vulnerable."

"Lucia-san, shouldn't we think about -?" The higher pitched voice fell silent.

Ace leaned closer to the ornate hardwood door, trying to catch the murmured conversation.

"Very well." One of the young women replied. "We accept your proposal… for now."

Ace rested the flat of her palm against the door and drew in a deep breath.

The rough voice called. "Come in child, don't leave us waiting." Ace stepped through the door into a small, cozy office decorated in reds and browns. Two soft chairs were drawn up to a simple desk, behind which sat a woman rendered into a silhouette by the sheer cloth screen placed between her and the guests. The two girls she had met earlier that morning.

The little redhead in the uniform of a local school rested her hand on the arm of the blonde's chair, watching the other two girls with anxious eyes. She was cute Ace mused, in a wide-eyed, innocent way. That one was probably Sumire, which made the other… Lucia watched her with one sharp blue eye. Ace had to restrain a chuckle when the pale girl's hand crept possessively over Sumire's, drawing a small blush, the green eyes often glancing at entwined hands. However, Lucia's sharp gaze never wavered from her own. "She is one of the best slayers our academy has to offer. I hope she will serve you well." Ace could sense the order behind the words. She met the little redhead's eyes, and the rage reveled at the discomfort – fear – reflected there.

She smiled, and the anger growled with satisfaction at Lucia's answering glare.

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The girl known as Lucy Smith rested her forehead against her fiancé's right shoulder, fingering the plain gold band in her palm, the pair to her diamond engagement ring. The steady beep of a heart monitor, scent of bleach and the yawning absence of his left arm gave her no peace from the thoughts circling around in hear head. She lifted her head to trace his face with her eyes. His drawn, pale face framed by short red hair, handsome in an unapologetically masculine way. Gnawed lips brushed his brow.

"Luka." He breathed.

Her chair hit the wall, the girl known as Lucy Smith cowered on the far side of the room, nestled between an ugly plastic plant and a table in an obscene shade of puce.

"Luka."

The girl known as Lucy Smith cupped her hand over her ears. "No." She sobbed, raking mails over skin. Her feet shoved her back into the wall, trying to flee the cacophony of voices. Within a few moments she was curled into a quivering ball.

_**Luka.**_

Luka opened her eyes, and her plus shaped pupils narrowed with glee. A smirk curled her pale lips. "Luka." She whispered.

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It was late in the evening when Ace finished her work around the school. Sometimes it seemed like there was no one else to teach the new recruits, check the weapons cache, or lead a patrol, but that was the price of being acknowledged as the best. She trailed her fingers along the rough concrete wall, too tired to react when her hand slid over a patch of slime mold. The Doctor's office came into view on her left, the light slipping under the door illuminating the hallway with a sleepy glow. Unsurprising, the man hardly left his "children".

Soft snores were emanating from the room, so she didn't bother with the usual subtleties. She eased the door open…

"Hello, Morimoto." A voice hissed. A sharp strike between the shoulder blades. Her arms were twisted painfully behind her back.

"Ah- Wha-" The hands bashed her head against the wall.

"Shut up!" A voice punded in time with the pai**n. **_ - No._ The voice fell silent. "You hurt my poor little Guy. Now I'm going to hurt you." The young woman trembled. Earth and air were no use here, but prehaps... fire bloomed in the slayer's hands. Luka shrieked and flung the Ace away, moving out of the range of her flames.

The blaze licked it's way up Ace's arms, blacking her clothing, reddening her skin. The flames rejected her. A whimper rose in her throat at the scent of scorched hair.

Luka's voice went low and sultry. Ah, she enjoyed pain! "You know, I never took you for that kind of girl Acie. Who did you kill? Who did you murder for it?"

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**Authors Note:**

I would like to thank **zaisuro **for reviewing and fav-ing. You guys should thank him, his review made me believe that there are actually people reading this fic. *cough* So he's actually the reason this partial chapter is here now. Kudos Zaisuro! ^^

If you're even the slightest bit interested in this story, keep your eyes on it. I plan to update sometime soon with the rest of the chapter.


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